corroborate
- 01 C1 Advanced
to support a statement or story by providing new evidence that shows it is true.
to confirm or support a finding, statement, or theory with additional evidence. Transitive; requires a direct object such as a claim, story, or testimony.
Simple“The witness was able to corroborate the driver's story about the accident.”
In context“Recent archaeological findings corroborate the historical accounts of the city's sudden destruction in the third century.”
UsageCommonly used in legal, scientific, and journalistic contexts to describe the validation of a claim.
Teacher's tipLearners often confuse this with 'collaborate' (to work together). Remind them that 'corroborate' is about evidence and truth.
- 02 C2 Proficiency
to make something stronger or more solid.
to make strong or to strengthen a physical or abstract entity. This sense is largely archaic in modern general-service English.
Simple“The new laws were intended to corroborate the power of the central government.”
In context“The king sought to corroborate his position by forming strategic alliances with neighboring territories.”
UsageIn modern English, 'strengthen' or 'reinforce' is almost always preferred for physical or political contexts.
Teacher's tipThis sense is rare; students will mostly encounter it in older literature or very formal legal documents.
Synonyms
Usage corroborate finding
“Photograph: courtesy of the family With no corroborating evidence, only a police investigation could assess the credibility of Sasha’s allegations.”
“Not only can their arrival time suggest that they dwelt with other particles for a negative amount of time, but if one asks those other particles, they will corroborate the story.”
First attested in the 1530s; borrowed from Latin corrōborātus (“strengthened”), perfect passive participle of corrōborō (“to support, corroborate”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix) and -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), from con- (“together”) + rōborō (“to strengthen”), from rōbur, rōboris (“strength”). Regular participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English, otherwise archaic.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.